The Australian and New Zealand Association for Research in Music Education (ANZARME) 44th Annual Conference is coming to the Southern Institute of Technology in Invercargill next week; the three-day event will facilitate the sharing of the latest in contemporary music education research, as well as present networking opportunities amongst like-minded researchers.

SIT Research Manager, Dr Sally Bodkin-Allen, who is a member of the ANZARME committee, said she had the opportunity last year to extend an offer of SIT as a destination for the conference, which was well supported by SIT Management. “It seemed like a great way to showcase our beautiful new creative centre... I’m really looking forward to hosting our guests and showing them around our new facilities.”

The conference will take place at St. John’s church within Te Rau o te Huia, from Friday 28th to Sunday 30th October; forty-five music education researchers from throughout Australia and New Zealand will attend in-person, plus another ten have registered to attend online.

“There will be music professors, lecturers, high school teachers, PhD and Masters’ students, all currently research-active in music education,” Dr Bodkin-Allen said. ANZARME endeavours to create strong links between music education research and music educators, by promoting communication, contributing to development, encouraging community support and bringing issues vital to music education research and music education into the public arena.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Connecting in a Disconnected World”, and those attending could expect to see a number of presentations which focussed on the ways teachers and performers adapted during the pandemic, and also how to reconnect after Covid.

Whilst the conference-goers would be fairly occupied over the three days, Dr Bodkin-Allen said some had chosen to extend their visit and would be taking the opportunity to have a look around the south while they were here, creating a positive spin-off for the region.

“Some are coming earlier, others are staying on afterwards; they’re interested in exploring - seeing Stewart Island and the Catlins, and they’ll all be using a variety of local accommodation and eateries while they’re here.”

Dr Bodkin-Allen said as well as providing a place for collegial networking and collaboration opportunities, the event also propagated fresh research possibilities. “It’s not uncommon for new research projects to come out of the ANZARME conference, and collaboration from across Aotearoa and Australia,” she concluded.